Tube-coiling machine.



J. B. LEW IS. TUBE 0.0mm MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.5,1912.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

WITNESSES 7 INVENTOR Vzw am M0551 [T [Hr/,5,

jmVflWW BY f-J. E. LEWIS.

TUBE GOILING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED-D1105, 1912. 1 075 045 Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITH/E8858 INVENTOR 6 Mask/ H flfW/S, W

ATTORNEYS- J. E. LEWI$. TUBE GOILING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEG. 5,1912.

1,075,045. Patented Oct. 7, 1913. 4 3 SHEETS-SHBET3. I

ATTORNEYS JOSEPH E. LEWIS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TUBE-COILING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

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Application filed December 5,1912. Serial no. *zaaoae. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. LEWIS,

a citizen of the United States, and a resi-' dent of Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented an Improvement. in Tube-Coiling Machines, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of tube-coiling machines wherein the tube is wound upon a spirally grooved former, but may be used for bending generally.

My machine embodies certain improvements which result in the following advantages: (a) the work is done much -more rapidly than heretofore, thus greatly reducing the cost; -(b) perfect coils are made without the use of any filling material 111 the tube; (0) coils may be wound to form spirals of smaller diameter thanby the usual method, and this result is accomplished without collapsing or wrinklinig the tubes; the metal is properly worke or stretched in the bending process, thereby imparting to the same a desirable degree of hardness or temper, so that the finished coils are not easily dented or distorted by subsequent handling.

The details of construction, arrangement, and operation of the partscomposing the machine are as hereinafter described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which'-' Figure 1 is a plan View of the machine as in actual operation; Fig. 2 is a rear'elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of the spirally grooved former, together with a longitudinal section of a tube being wound thereon with a mandrel iuclosed and shown in side elevation. 'Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is'a sectional view similar to Fig. 4:, save that a portion of the fiexiblemandrel is shown in cross; section. Fig. 7 is in part a plan view and in part a cross section of the flexible mandrel. Fig. 8 is a side view of the same with two-extra parts shown. Figs. 9 and 10 are differentsections of a modified form of flexible mandrel, the same being adapted for forming spirals which are 'rectangular in cross section, Fig. 9 being ascotion on the line 9-9 of Fig. 10, the same beingat right angles to the section shown.

in Fig. 10.

Referring in the first instance to Figs. 1

and 4 the letter w indicates a metal tube .which is being wound on a horizontal spirally grooved former 1 having'at one end a flanged radial head 1, which, in 6Q practice, is bolted to the rotatable headstock of a lathe or to the rotatable head of any machine suit-able for the purpose, it being understood that theformer may be rotated in one direction or: theother as required, first, for winding on the tube and forming a coil, and, second, discharging the coil thus produced: 'llhe end of the former opposite the head Fl -is provided with an cecentric screw clamp Qwliichmrve's for se 7!) curing one end of the tithe a: at the beginrung of the coiling operation' .What may be termed'a-carriage ortuloe-carrier, which supports the tube while being fed to, and

' wound upon, the former 1, is composed of a 5 metal frame 3 formed eta plate bent at several angles so as to inclose or surround the former, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The same is provided with a series of setscrews 4, 5, 6, and 7 which pass through the frame 89 3 and whose rounded points enter, and are adapted to travel in, the spiral groove of the former, by which the carriage is caused to travel automatically forward and backward on the former, as'required for coiling 35 the tube aboutthe former in the-first instance and discharging the tube coil therefrom when completed. The screws are provided with jam or set nuts, as show-n,-f0r locking them 'in any adjustment relative to 90 the bottom of the spiral groove. 0n the longer arm 3 of the-rectangular frame 3 there is supported a groov'cd bar or fshoe 8, the same being pivoted at 8 at one side of the frame, as shown in Figs.3 and 5. This bar has a longitudinal groove in its upper side in which the tube at is adapted to slide, 1 and a'V-shaped bar 9 is bolted to the rear end of the shoe and forms an extension sup port for the mandrel. The rear port-ion of this mandrel holder .is supported by acne wheel truck 10 which isadapted to one on a horizontal, transverse rail 11 whose ends are supported by vertical posts 12.-

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a counterweight 10s 13 1s connects by a rope. 14 'With the V -shaped mandrel holder 9, t e roperun nllifi over a pulley 15 fixed at the end of the tract 11 and serving a ur'posewhich will be presen't-lyexplained. ln addition to their general functions,- each of'the severalscr'ews 14, 5, 6,.and .7 has afunction ofits' own, as;

- 9 at the proper angle, as these parts travelthe counterweight 13 by holding the car riage 3, the shoe 8, and the mand'rel holder together forward and backward. It also serves as a micrometer adjustment of the angularity of the shoe 8 as hereinafter described. The screw 5 serves to regulate the pressure on the tube in the bending or coiling process by drawing the shoe 8 up against the former 1. The screw 6 serves as a bearing point, which in conjunction with the shoe 8 opposes the screw 5 and causes the shoe to bear properly on the former 1. Finally, the screw 7 takes up the thrust due to the pull on the tube a: during the coiling process. The lower arm or extension 3 of the rectangular frame 3 has an arc slot 16 (see Fig. 1) and the clamping bolt 8 which passes through said slot enables the correct angle of the shoe relative to the former to be found experimentally and the shoe to be securely clamped at the required angle on the frame. This angle is indicated in Fig. 1. In forming thespiral tube coil, I emplOy a flexible mandrel whose construction in the case of a tube which is cylindrical in cross section is as shown in Figs. 4:, 6, 7, and 8, and which will be presently described in detail. The body 17 of the mandrel is'provided with an extension rod 18 whose. rear end is secured to a lug 19 (see Figs. 1 and 3) wherebythe mandrel is held in the tube m and in proper position' with reference to the initlal bending point of the tube which, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, is directly belowthe former 1.

"From the foregoingfdescription, it will now be understood that the method of making a pipe coil or spiral is as follows: First, a straight tube of the required length is placed over the mandrel and extension rod of the same, and the forward end of the tube is secured to one end of the former 1 by means of the clamp 2. The carriage having been duly adjusted in the required position or at the required angle relative to the former is first of all placed in its initial position at the one end of the former, with the shoe 8 engaging the tube at the beginning of the spiral groove. The former is then caused to rotate to the right or in the directionof the arrow in Fig. 4, so that-the shoe 8 and the-carriage or frame to which it is attached travel along the former 1 with the groove of the shoe in register with the groove in the former whose rotation draws the tube oil the mandrel and its extension rod and winds it into the groove of the former as it leaves the mandrel. The metal is compressed between the mandrel stem or body on the inside and the former 1 and shoe 8 on the out side, so that it is stretched or drawn as will be readily understood. The amount of this putting more or less tension on.the adjusting screw 5, as already described. When the carriage has reached the head 1 of the former 1, the coil is completed, and may then be removed. For this purpose, the .clamp 2 is released, and the former 1 is caused to rotate in the opposite .direction, so that the carriage with all the attachments travels back to its initial position and at the same time automatically pushes the coil of the former 1 by reason of its unscrewingifrom the groove in the latter. Another tube is then placed on the mandrel and the process repeated. As before stated, in the coiling.

operation the spirally grooved former 1 rotates on its axis andthe carriage with its attachments travels along the former in a plane parallel to this axis, the motion "being similar to that of a-nut when held from turning and consequently compelled to travel along a rotating bolt. *It is also obvious that the principle is the same if the nut be entirely stationary and the bolt be made to travel backward and forward through the nut as the bolt is rotated. I therefore do no desire tolimit my claim to a machine having a rotating spirally grooved former anda carriage traveling thereon, since it is within. the scope 'or principle of my invention that, by securing the carriage, the bending shoe, the mandrel holder, and mandrel in fixed position and allowing the former 1 to travel backward and forward with reference to the carriage, the same result may, be secured.

In this class of machines, the function of a mandrel is to support the Wallsof the flexible tube or pipe during the bending or coiling process, and especially at the point of initial bending as well as at a series of other points in the tube adjacent to. and beyond he point .of initial'ben'di'ng. In bending'orcoiling tubes having very thin walls, especially when it is desired to make the bends of a very short radius, there is of course a great tendency of the 'metal to wrinkle or buckle on the inside of the curve and to flatten or collapse at the outside of the curve. I have invented a special form of flexible mandrel which enables this operation to be performed without dihiculty and produces bends of. full rounded cross section throughout. A special feature of the flexible portion of the mandrel is the construction of the same of parts whereby the several points of support of the tube while being bent are located so close together that the walls of the tube cannot become distorted between them. I thus produde a. superior flexible mandrel which obviates the danger of tubes wrinkling or flattening, however thin the walls or short the radius of the bend. The special novel feature of my construction of mandrel is the pi'ovision of a series of bodies or parts which are cut away and recessed on one side to adapt them to conform to and'partiallyinclose an adjacent part or body, the several parts or bodies being held in intimate contact by means of links or other devices which allow them to swivel or turn on each other as required to conform to curvature of the tube which is being bent. I

In the form of mandrel illustrated. in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the forward end of the stemor main body of the mandrel is rounded hemispherically and two parts or bodies 20 and a 21 are flexibly connected therewith and with each other by means of links 22 and The parts or bodies 20 and 21 are spherical save that they are cut away or truncated on one side an a. cup-shaped cavity is formed in such flattened side, the same being adapted to receive a segmental portion of the adjacent body, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 7. Two parallel duplicate links 22 flexibly connect the stem 17 with the first or adjacent spherical body 20 and the latter is in .turn connected by a single link 23 with the forward or outermost body 21, the links being in each case secured to pivots 2st which traverse the respective parts 17, 20 and 21, as shown.

It will be understood by reference to Figs. 6, 7 and 8 that the links 22 and 23 are arranged in fan-shaped slots in thestem 17 and body 20 which permits the required lateral movement of the links during the bending operation. It will be understood in this connection that l may employ a chain or a flexible cord or Wire for connecting the several parts 17, 20 and 21, the main feature being a suitable flexible connection of the parts with adjustment of their transverse axes as near each other as practicable in order to avoid buckling or otherwise distorting the tube.

In Figs. 9 and 10, I illustrate a modification, that is to say, cylindrical parts 17, 20*

and 21, this form being particularly adapted and intended for use in bending tubes that are rectangular in cross section. The arrangement and connection of the links 22 and 23 are in essentials similar to that employed in the case of the spherical bodies bet'ore described.

It will be seen that in any case, the flexible parts of the mandrel must be so shaped that the cross section at right angles to the axis of the tube shall be ot the same shape as the cross section of the tube itself, and the cross section in line with the axis of the tube and with the plane of the bend shall be a circle intersected by another circle ot the same size. This refers to the primary, or 'tlmdamcntal, form of the bodies. Their cross section is, of course, modified internally to such an extent as may be desirable drel attached to and traveling with the bending shoe, as described.

2. In a tube-bending machine, in combination, a spirally grooved former, a metallic frame inclosing said former on four sides and provided with adjustable bearing screws disposed to engage the spiral groove in said former, a grooved bending shoe pivoted on one side of the frame, and means to adjust said shoe to the proper angle and clamp it securely in position, and a mandrel and mandrel holder.

3. In a tube-bending machine, in combination, a spirally grooved former, a metallic carriage applied to said former and automatically guided and controlled by it, a grooved bending shoe pivoted beneath and on one side of said carriage and thus adapted for lateral adjustment relative to the former, and a flexible mandrel supported on said shoe, as described.

4. In a tube-bending machine, in combination, a spirally grooved rotatable former, a. grooved bending shoe held adjacent to the former at the bending point where the tube receives its initial bend, a mandrel holder attached to said shoe and movable with the same, and means causing relative motion be tween the bending shoe and the former in a plane parallel to the surface of such former, as described.

5. in a tube-bending machine, the combination with a spirally grooved rotatable former, of a carriage adapted to traverse said former, the same comprising a frame that surrounds thet'ormer, adjustable means connected with said frame and bearing in the groove and adapted to travel in the same, a grooved tube guide pivoted on said frame, and means for securing it at any desired lateral inclination to the axis of the former, as described.

(S. In a tube-bending machine, the combi nation with\a spirally grooved rotatable former, of a carriage adapted to traversesaid former, the same comprising a frame that surrounds the former, adjusting setscrews passing through the trains and hear ing in the groove at several points and adapted to travel in the groove, :1. tube mide pivoted on the lower portion of said trams its and extending'beneath the former, rneans for of the tube guide while permitting lateral securing it at any desired lateral inclination traverse of the same, as described.

to the axis of the former, 2r device for clamping itin lateral adjustmeht, a counterweight JOSEPH LEVVIS' connected with the rear portion of the tnbe Witnesses:

guide and tending to draw the same later- NOBLE A; LEWIS,

ally, and means for supporting the rear end 'GEO. J. LOCH-NER. 

